To increase your efficiency, the web version of Gmail has numerous functions, such as template generation and automatic message forwarding However, few people are aware that many Gmail functions can be accessed using keyboard shortcuts. Many Gmail users are unaware of these shortcuts or how to use them. In this guide, we show you some of the best Gmail keyboard shortcuts you can use on one of the best external keyboards for your Chromebook or tablet to minimize your burden and do more productive activities in a shorter amount of time.

These Gmail keyboard shortcuts are simple to set up and use, but not all shortcuts are beneficial. By using these essential Gmail keyboard shortcuts, you can manage your inbox more efficiently.

How to turn on keyboard shortcuts in Gmail

These keyboard shortcuts are turned off by default for the desktop version of Gmail. You must turn them on in your account settings. This doesn't apply to the Gmail app on Android, as the keyboard shortcuts work right out of the box without any extra steps.

To use these keyboard shortcuts for the desktop version of Gmail, check out the following steps:

  1. Visit the Gmail desktop website and log in to your Google account if needed.
  2. Click the Settings icon in the upper-right corner.
  3. Select the See all settings button.
    Click the Settings icon and select the 'See all settings' option
  4. Scroll down and click the Keyboard shortcuts on option.
    The Gmail Settings showing how to turn on keyboard shortcuts.
  5. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page.

The most useful Gmail keyboard shortcuts for desktop

The desktop version of Gmail has too many shortcuts to remember, but learning a few can boost your productivity. We compiled a list with some standout shortcuts that are useful for most scenarios. In the section below, we show you the shortcut keyboard combinations and describe the actions of each one.

Compose (c)

Although it's easy to click the large Compose button when sending a new email, pressing the c key allows you to do the same without a mouse. If you compose new emails all day for work, this shortcut will save a little time.

Rather than manually clicking the Search in mail text box at the top of the screen, press the / key to select it without a mouse. This can be beneficial if you frequently use the search feature to find those elusive emails.

Select (x)

Instead of clicking the checkbox on the left side of an email, select the highlighted message by pressing the x key. And when you use the up and down arrow keys, you can combine these actions to select multiple emails.

Open (o)

You can open any highlighted email by pressing the o key. Alternatively, the Enter key does the same action. You can open your emails without touching the mouse by navigating your inbox with the up and down arrow keys. While viewing an email, use the arrow keys to scroll the page up or down as needed.

Go back to the thread list (u)

When in an open email thread, use the u key to return to the previous page. Think of this as the universal back button when going through your emails.

Star (s)

When you want to find an email quickly and easily, press the s key to mark your message with a star. This adds it to the Starred list. Pressing the s key again removes the star and returns the thread to its previous state.

Archive (e)

Archiving an email saves it for later while keeping it hidden from your default inbox. Press the e key on the current email to archive it, sending it to the All Mail section. You can also locate an email using the Search in mail text box feature to narrow your results.

Label (l)

When you open an email or select it with a checkbox, pressing the l key brings up a new set of options. You can create labels or use the default ones to keep your inbox neat and organized.

Delete (#)

With any conversation selected, press the # key to delete it from your inbox and send it to the Trash folder. Combined with the arrow keys for navigation, you can remove messages from your inbox without touching the mouse.

Reply (r)

When you have an open message you want to reply to quickly, pressing the r key allows you to respond to that thread. You could grab the mouse and click the Reply button, but pressing the shortcut key is an excellent alternative.

Reply all (a)

An extension to the previous shortcut, responding to all recipients with a single tap allows you to manage bulk emails easier. If you have multiple parties to follow up with at once, reply to all recipients by pressing the a key.

Mark as spam (!)

Sometimes, junk email can slip through the spam filter and into your primary inbox. If you need to mark a selected email as spam, press the ! key to remove it from your inbox and move it into the Spam folder.

Forward (f)

Much like replying to the currently selected email, if you want to forward it to another recipient, press f. This shortcut is handy if you frequently forward emails to family, friends, or coworkers.

In a message thread containing multiple emails, cycle through each one with n to move down the list and p to go back up the list. Imagine how quickly you can cycle through all those replies in the same email thread using these shortcuts.

Mark as read or unread (Shift + u, Shift + i)

To make a selected email appear as if it's never been opened, press Shift + u to mark it as unread. Alternatively, pressing Shift + i switches it back to read, which makes it look like it has been viewed.

Open inbox (g + i)

This shortcut can be helpful if you have more than one inbox attached to your account. You can instantly open your primary box at any time. Pressing g + i does that for you.

You'll frequently share or insert content into your emails via links. This shortcut can help with that. When composing an email, pressing Ctrl + k after highlighting some text brings up the Edit Link screen. You can also use it as a standalone method of manually inserting links without highlighting any text. In this case, fill out the Text to display box with your words.

Open the keyboard shortcut list (?)

There are Gmail keyboard shortcuts for about anything you can think of. In this guide, we highlighted some standout shortcuts the average user might be interested in trying. To view a complete list of the available Gmail keyboard shortcuts in a pop-up menu, press the ? key while browsing your inbox.

A list of the Gmail keyboard shortcuts

You can also find a complete list of Gmail keyboard shortcuts for the desktop client on the official Gmail Help page.

Some external keyboard shortcuts for Gmail on Android

The Android app for Gmail has its own external keyboard shortcuts that differ slightly from the desktop version. And you don't have to open your account settings to turn on the feature. It just works. Though not as in-depth, these keyboard shortcuts are beneficial if you don't use a mouse with your smartphone or tablet. In the section below, we highlight a few Gmail shortcuts you can try with an external keyboard on your Android device.

Compose (Ctrl + n)

Composing an email from your Android device with a keyboard requires you to press Ctrl + n.

Archive (Ctrl + d)

Archiving a conversation to save it for later is as simple as pressing Ctrl + d.

Send (Ctrl + Enter)

Rather than leaning forward to tap the send button on your screen, press Ctrl + Enter to fire off that email right away.

Refresh (Ctrl + u)

This shortcut allows you to sit back and refresh your inbox without swiping down on your screen, which can be done by pressing Ctrl + u.

Select all (Ctrl + a)

If you need to select all the text in a conversation, pressing Ctrl + a allows you to do that.

Open the menu (Ctrl + m)

To access your account-related settings, press Ctrl + m to bring up the side menu.

Reply all (Ctrl + r)

When you want to reply to all conversation recipients, pressing Ctrl + r makes your life easier.

Mark as read or unread (Ctrl + i)

Use the arrow keys to navigate your inbox, and then press Ctrl + i to mark the new messages as read or unread.

There may be times when you need to print something from your Android smartphone or tablet. For school, work, or personal reasons, pressing Ctrl + p launches the initial print prompt. You can select additional printing properties from there to customize how your content will look.

You can also find a complete list of Gmail keyboard shortcuts for the Android app on the official Gmail Help page.

Use Gmail keyboard shortcuts to tame your inbox

Gmail offers various features that help you sort and manage your inbox more efficiently, with some of them being hidden in your account settings. Tapping into keyboard shortcuts gives you flexibility and control over the actions you take within your inbox. Rather than clicking through extra menus or buttons, a keyboard shortcut reduces a multistep process to a single command. Implementing a few Gmail shortcuts into your daily routine allows you to spend less time shuffling through your inbox.

To take your inbox game to the next level, create custom Gmail keyboard shortcuts. Also, to manage your Gmail inbox efficiently, learn to mass delete emails in Gmail.